


Transformations

by pearl_o



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Still Have Powers, M/M, Were-Creatures
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-27
Updated: 2012-03-27
Packaged: 2017-11-02 14:55:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/370226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pearl_o/pseuds/pearl_o
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charles is a werebadger. That's the entire thing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Transformations

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Cesare](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cesare/gifts).



When Erik got home from work, Raven was there to meet him at the door. 

"He escaped out of the basement when I came down to check on him around three," she said.

Erik frowned. "I don't know why he does that. He has a perfectly good burrow down there."

"He's not a very good badger," Raven said drily. She shook her left hand in his direction; there was a large band-aid covering her thumb. "Last time I saw him he was under your bed. He bit me when I was trying to get him out, so I just left him there."

"That was stupid," Erik said.

Raven glared at him. "Yes, Erik, you're right, I _am_ a great friend for looking after your boyfriend when he gets like this. Oh, don't be silly, you don't have to thank me so much! I do it out of love. Oh, stop fawning, _you_."

Erik walked around her as she talked, taking off his coat and hanging it up in the closet. "You're not doing it for me," he said. "You're doing it for him. Isn't he always grateful enough when he comes out of it?"

"That's not the point," Raven said. She leaned up and pecked Erik's cheek. "I'm out of here. Tell him to give me a call tomorrow, all right?"

"Mm," Erik said. 

The front door slammed shut behind Raven as she left, and Erik could hear the loud rumbling of her car as she drove away. He walked into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water, sat down at the island and ate some leftover Chinese food from the fridge.

When he was done he headed up to the bedroom. Raven had left the door open. The curtains were shut and the overhead light off, leaving the entire place dark. Erik crawled onto his knees and peered under the bed.

"Charles?" he called. "Are you still under there?"

There was no response. Erik sighed under his breath as he stood back up. It was evening already; Charles could change back at any point between now and dawn. If it happened while he was still hiding down there, he was going to hurt himself.

Erik concentrated on levitating the bed by its metal frame, just a few inches, then a few inches more.

The badger was in the far corner, underneath the approximate spot where Erik's pillow normally rested. It stared at Erik for a long, frozen moment before fleeing. Erik was blocking the path to the door to the hallway, so he ran straight into the attached bathroom.

Erik gestured with one hand, swinging the door closed and trapping him inside. He lay the bed gently back down on the floor and went back downstairs.

He was sitting on the couch, watching some idiotic television and having a drink, when Charles called out to him, about three hours later.

_Erik_ , Charles sent to him, crankiness coming off his thoughts in waves. _Why am I locked in the bathroom?_

It was a little ridiculous, Erik thought, how good it felt to have him back. He wasn't sure when it had happened, but he missed the feeling of Charles's mind, as loud and overbearing and nosy as it was. He wasn't sure whether Charles's powers disappeared completely during his transformation - for all Erik knew, perhaps he could still hear other badgers' thought perfectly well, just not people's - but at any rate, it was lonely without him.

_Why do you think?_ Erik said. _You might as well take a shower while you're there. I'm sure you're filthy._

_Funny_ , Charles said, clearly meaning the opposite. _Come let me out now._

Erik was right, of course; Charles was filthy. When he unlocked and opened the door, Charles was sitting splayed out in the bathtub, completely naked and covered with dirt. There was a bruise forming, loud and purple on his right temple. He glared at Erik accusingly. He didn't stand up.

Erik leaned against the doorway, crossing his arms. "You bit Raven when she tried to help you," he said. 

"Oh, _wonderful_ ," Charles said, rolling his eyes. 

"At least she didn't let you escape into the yard this time," Erik said. "We wouldn't want you to get into a fight with the neighbor's dog again."

"Shut it," Charles said. "And come over here and help me up, I'm aching all over."

Erik stepped forward and extended his arm out to Charles, pulling him up to stand. The bathtub was lifted off the floor enough that Charles's height was equal to Erik's, perhaps even half an inch taller. He was perfectly situated and Erik had missed his face, too, a ridiculous amount, considering it had been barely a day and a half; he had to resist the urge to kiss him then. But Charles definitely hadn't brushed his teeth yet, either, and god knows what he had last put into his mouth.

"I meant it," Erik said. "Shower now, it'll help with the aches. I'll get you a towel and your pajamas, all right?"

"All right," Charles said.

Erik left the door open as he walked back into the bedroom and headed to the dresser. Over the sound of the running water, Charles called out, "Can you order us some pizza, too? I'm dying for some actual food."

"Of course," Erik called back. He left the clothes on the bathroom counter and set the clean towel on the rack for Charles to reach.

Charles opened the shower curtain, and the steam framed his face and the wet locks of his hair in a way that Erik thought was just this side of ridiculous. He was smiling, now, and he blew Erik a kiss. "Thank you, love."

"Of course," Erik said again, and he headed downstairs to find the delivery menus.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Transformations (the Three Things Erik Now Knows About Badgers remix)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/388311) by [misura](https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura)




End file.
